Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Alichino by Kouyu Shurei

First line: Compassionate…yet cruel.

Initial thoughts: I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this one.

From the description, it sounded like an interesting concept–beautiful creatures granting wishes to those who need them–but from the reviews, it was clear the story was convoluted at best.

What finally made me say "yes" was the artwork. It’s quite elegant and even if I end up hating the story, at least I’ll have the beautiful pictures to look at.

Book description:

Beautiful creates called Alichino grant wishes to those in need–but at a price! A young lady searching for an Alichino wants to bring her brother back to life. She meets Tsugiri, a handsome young man who she thinks is an Alichino. Tsugiri turns out to be a mere mortal, but he does have a mysterious connection with these rare creatures–a connection that will bring danger to those around him.

Book Details: 164 pages; TokyoPop; Pub. February 8, 2005